Today, Dr. Mohamed Abousalem (/æ-bu-SÆL-əm/) takes office as the third president of Keck Graduate Institute. With over 30 years of experience leading world-class teams in higher education, industry, and the nonprofit sector, he brings deep expertise and a keen focus on elevating KGI to new heights.
As he begins his new role, President Abousalem continues to meet with community members, staff, faculty, and fellow leaders in the Claremont Colleges. He plans to continue this overarching listening and learning tour over the summer, hosting events and other opportunities to engage with every part of the Institute, including a dessert social on his second day in office.
“I have received such a warm welcome from all corners of the KGI community, and I am eager to start my work here,” said President Abousalem. “I am endlessly thankful to Dr. Schuster and Dr. Riggs for laying the foundation for KGI’s excellence and success. The boundless potential of KGI is already clear, and I’m looking forward to developing a shared vision that reflects the deep passion and expertise of our faculty, students, and staff in pursuit of excellence in research, teaching, learning, and scholarship.”
Looking forward, Dr. Abousalem seeks to build on KGI’s forward momentum and shepherd the institution through a new phase of intentional growth, leaning on its strengths and collaborating with the institute’s partners to bring fresh perspectives together to advance this shared goal.
“Embracing a culture of continuous learning and growth is central to KGI’s entrepreneurial spirit,” said President Abousalem. “My immediate goals are focused squarely on listening to and learning from the KGI community – I strongly believe our future is as bright and dynamic as the ideas and energy that come from our faculty, staff, students, and partners. I am inspired by the opportunity to expand and advance research, invest in academic excellence, and focus on long-term sustainability and success while evolving in partnership with industry.”
President Abousalem joins KGI from San José State University, where he served as the inaugural Vice President for Research and Innovation and led the significant growth of the university’s research and innovation enterprise. Before joining SJSU, he served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Industry Alliances and Technology Commercialization at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where, among other notable initiatives, he established a biotech wet lab incubator and a technology startup.